Flock Ninja
by Midorihatenma
Summary: What would happen if the flock lived in Konoha? This is a story about what would happen if they became ninjas and the way it changes the original Naruto storyline!
1. Prologue

**Flock ninja prologue**

_Hello all, this is my first story I've posted on fanfiction, I hope you enjoy it._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Maximum Ride, but I thank Masashi Kishimoto and James Patterson for creating them. You Rock!!_

_This is about what would happen if the flock became Konoha ninjas, and how events would change from the original version._

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, sat in his office, leafing through the paperwork the Jonin instructors had given him on the latest set of graduated academy students. As usual, the information included the speed, strength, fighting skill and other points of interest. These would help to determine the teams they would eventually be put into.

As Hiruzen scrolled down the list, something on it caught his eye. Pausing, he frowned as he noticed the same information five more times. Still frowning, He put the papers down and looked out of his office window, gazing at the stone faces of those who had previously borne the Hokage title. Finally, taking one last look out of the window, the Third Hokage left his office to congratulate the newest ninjas of Konoha, the village hidden in the leaves.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Max absentmindedly gazed up at the sky as Iruka-sensei read out the teams of the graduates. Beside her, her "brothers" Fang and Iggy were grinning to each other. Well, Fang had slightly raised the corner of his mouth, while Iggy was grinning off into space, earning him weird looks from the people around him. Max wondered how he had even passed the genin exams when he couldn't see a thing. Before she had a chance to ponder this further, she heard her name being called out:

"Team 7 consists of Maximum Ride, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki…"

Max glanced over to her team mates and suppressed a sigh of irritation. She was stuck with the troublemaker of the class (not to mention number 1 hyperactive knucklehead), and the class genius who acted like he was above everyone else. Looking around again she saw all the Sasuke fan girls glaring evilly at her. Giving them all a glare of her own, she slumped back in her seat and waited for her instructor to turn up.

***

3 hours later, and there was still no sign of her sensei. Naruto kept on glaring at Sasuke, while he appeared deep in thought. Finally, Naruto jumped up and placed a dusty blackboard eraser up at the edge of the door and, chuckling to himself, retreated to his seat. Moments later, the door opened, and the eraser flopped down onto an already grey head of spiky hair. Naruto burst out laughing and both Sasuke and Max muttered: "Idiot."

Their sensei either didn't feel the eraser hit his head, or he just didn't care, either way, he just continued walking in until he stood at the front of the classroom. Finally, he spoke:

"Team 7, I am your instructor, Kakashi Hatake, and my first impression of you is… I hate you. Anyway, our first act as a team takes place on the roof in 5 minutes, I'll see you there."

And with that, he left the classroom.


	3. Chapter 2

**Flock ninja chapter 2**

_Here's the next chapter in this series, I hope you like it._

_This chapter's about the introductions on the roof and preparations for the final part of the genin test, and please, if you have any questions about the story, please ask _

As the trio arrived on the roof, Kakashi appeared in front of them. Once they were all settled down, the white-haired jonin spoke:

"Well, I think we should all get to know each other better, so… how about we tell each other our name, likes and dislikes, hopes, and dreams. I'll start first. My name is Kakashi Hatake, I don't like talking about my likes and dislikes. It's none of your business what my dreams are, and I have heaps of hobbies. Now, onto the black-haired kid."

Sasuke glanced up at this, then sighed and began to introduce himself.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and I hate more things than I like. "Dreams" is just a word, but I plan to restore my clan… and kill a certain person…"

Max, Naruto and Kakashi all sweat-dropped and this, so everyone was thankful when Naruto spoke up;

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen, and when Iruka-sensei treats me to a meal at the Ichiraku Noodle Shop. I hate the 3-minute wait to eat instant ramen after pouring boiling water in. My dream is to become Hokage, so everyone will have to acknowledge me, and my Hobbies are pranks and practical jokes."

Finally, it was Max's turn to introduce herself. Wondering how to not spill her secrets, she took a deep breath and finally said:

"Hi! I'm Maximum Ride, and I like my mom's home-baked chocolate-chip cookies, my family and our dog Total. I hate it when I can't protect my family, or stop them from getting hurt. My hobbies are… umm… playing with my younger brothers and sisters, and my dream is to be strong enough to protect my family from everything that could harm them, and to keep us all together."

As soon as Max finished speaking, Kakashi handed out three slips of paper, and ordered them to meet him at the practice field at 6:00 am. Then, taking one last look at his new genin team, Kakashi Hatake left to report to the Hokage.

***

Max was preparing to leave for home, when Naruto approached her. He looked embarrassed, and hoping it wasn't going to be about a date, she asked him what he wanted. Rapidly turning beetroot red, Naruto replied in a small voice,

"Um, I'm kinda having trouble reading all this kanji… can you help… please?"

Max anime-fell. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. A kid who should know Japanese much better than her couldn't read the kanji?!! She was shocked, but, since she didn't want to embarrass him further, she agreed and translated it for him. Looking much happier, Naruto thanked her and dashed off, no doubt to train his butt off for the test the next day.

***

As Max finally reached her apartment, the door opened, and out came Dr Martinez and Ella. Smiling, they simultaneously hugged Max and led her into the dining room, where everyone else was having dinner. Helping herself to the food in front of her, Max hungrily tucked in, while her mum enquired about everybody's day. For once, Fang replied first, surprising everyone.

"Not bad. Iggy, Max and I got put into our genin teams."

The table was in uproar. Fang the guy who never, ever spoke, had just completed 2 FULL SENTENCES!!! As things calmed down, Iggy also added his opinion of his day.

"Yeah, I got put with this really annoying fan girl, called Sakura, and a guy called Kiba who seems to have a dog with him all the time. Fang was put with Shino and Hinata, while Max was teamed up with the idiot Naruto and class genius, Sasuke."

There was a long pause as everyone finished eating, and after cleaning up, Max retreated to her room to prepare for the challenges that awaited her the next day.

_The next chapter will be posted shortly, and I hope this answered the question about where Sakura was. Next chapter will be about the survival exercise. Please keep reviewing my fanfic,_

_Midorihatenma._


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The alarm clock went off at the unheard of hour of 5:00 in the morning. Max's hand reached out to hit it to make it stop, so she could go back to sleep again, when she remembered: the final genin test was in an hour. That gave her half an hour to get ready, and another half-hour to reach the exercise ground! Immediately, she shot out of bed, yanked on her ninja clothes and weapons kits, and pelted down to breakfast.

After the most hectic wake-up of her life, Max could be seen tearing down the streets of Konoha. As she finally reached her final destination, she checked her watch to see if she made it, only to find she had 50 minutes to spare. Her alarm clock's display was 35 minutes fast, and she had forgotten to reset her alarm clock yet again. Max groaned in defeat, and sank down to the ground to wait for the others.

***

Within the next hour, both of her team mates had arrived. After her translation of the kanji leaflet yesterday, Naruto was grinning at Max, and slightly creeping her out, and Sasuke was just being his normal, sulky self. Finally, Kakashi appeared using his trademark Konoha-shunshin (leaf body-flicker) jutsu. Looking around, he pulled out two bells from his pocket, and secured them to his belt. Finally, he addressed his subordinates.

"The aim of this mission is to retrieve the bells from me. You may use shuriken if you want to, and the person who does not retrieve a bell, won't get any lunch. Now, begin!"

He watched as the three genin disappeared into the nearby bushes. Smiling to himself, he pulled out the latest copy of _Icha-Icha Paradise_ and settled down to read.

Meanwhile…

Max was jumping through the trees, wondering what the purpose of the mission was, and why there were only two bells. After a moments deliberation, the answer popped into her head, and she hurried off to find both of her team mates before it was too late.

She found Naruto tied upside-down from a tree. Pulling out a kunai, she cut him loose and pulled him out of the other snare hidden underneath him. Glancing around to make sure Kakashi wasn't listening, she whispered to Naruto:

"I know what the missions about. We need to work together if we stand a chance of passing. The main theme's teamwork! Now, have you seen Sasuke?

And they set off, searching for their other comrade.

Sasuke was grumbling to himself. He had come so close to gaining a bell. Now he was up to his neck in dirt. He became even more annoyed as he saw the dobe come into view, along with the kunoichi. Running over to him, Max started to dig him out. Finally after 5 minutes of hard work, He was finally free. Panting, Max relayed the teamwork factor for the mission, and figured out a plan of assault. As soon as everyone was prepared, they took off to face Kakashi.

Max was the first one to spot the jonin. He was just sitting on a stump reading a book. Getting into position, she watched as Naruto and Sasuke signalled their readiness. Taking a deep breath, Max charged towards her target, throwing various kunai and shuriken as she went, and dodging the attacks thrown at her. Finally, she reached Kakashi, and, as Naruto and Sasuke threw various punches kicks, Max dived down and grabbed the bells. Panting hard, Max handed the bells to her team mates, earning her a quizzical look from the other 3 ninja. Shrugging, she replied.

"I don't care if I get any lunch, and anyway, one of the shinobi rules is: put your teammates safety and progress in front of your own."

Pausing at this, Kakashi eye-smiled and finally, gave a bento box to each of them for lunch, saying as he did so,

"You passed! I'll see you tomorrow for our next mission."

With that, he left the 3 fully-fledged genin to eat their lunch and celebrate.


	5. Chapter 4

Flock ninja chapter 4

_I'm so sorry for the agonising wait, I spent a while on this one, and school work didn't help to speed it up either._

_This is the start of the battle for the land of waves mission, with a twist in the making. This is probably the point where my story completely veers off from the original Naruto, due to a few unbelievable fights. Plus, you get to see Max's personal fighting style! I hope you like it!_

A few months had passed, with team 7 completing D-rank missions, with Naruto almost always ending up bruised and battered from lack of self control. Finally, as they were about to be assigned yet another tedious chore, Naruto finally lost it.

"I WANNA GO ON A REAL MISSION!! NOT JUST SOME LAME HOUSE CHORE! Pleeease let us go on a better mission!!"

The Hokage sighed with irritation. He never liked it when Naruto wanted to do something. It always ended up in a shouting contest, and Naruto either getting his way, or him doing the worst possible prank he could think of (which, considering his past pranks, would be outrageous and utterly inappropriate to put into this story.) Still, today would not be the day when the 3rd Hokage gave into the boy. Looking sternly at him, the old man replied:

"You are just a genin, and a new one at that. Because of your ranking, and the outcomes of the other missions I set you, I can't allow you to go on a mission that would involve fighting or defending someone. The result would be disastrous! ... ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME!?"

Naruto had turned his back to the Sandaime, and was now muttering about what type of ramen he would have for dinner. Hearing the Hokage shout at him, he turned around.

"All you ever do is give lectures! Anyway, I'm not the stupid jerk you think I am!"

Max, who also wanted a better mission than just babysitting and gardening, decided to join in the Naruto-Hokage argument.

"Please, lord Hokage. If we look after Naruto, can we please just go on a C-rank mission? It might be good to have a challenge…"

Once again the "3rd" sighed. I should have retired long ago, I can't keep up arguments any more He thought. Looking at Kakashi, who nodded in return, he gave up, and handed them their mission criteria. He then signalled to the two guards to bring in the person requesting it.

As soon as team 7 looked at the person requesting the mission, their faces fell. The guy was old, and seemingly drunk from the bottle he was carrying and the way he couldn't quite keep his balance.

Peering at the shocked ninja, the old man grumbled, his words slurring from the effects of the alcohol.

"What are these? I asked for real ninja, not just some kids who act like ones. I want real protection! I don't even think the midget could fight a daisy, let alone other people."

Dragging the protesting knucklehead away from man, Max prepared for the weeks of quarrelling, fighting and idiocy ahead.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Finally, holidays have arrived! Hopefully I'll catch up with my story, but anyway, here's the next chapter!_

_Thoughts_

Speech

Half an hour after their mission briefing, team 7 and their client, a bridge builder called Tazuna were at the gates of Konoha, ready to set off. As soon as they had crossed out of the village, Naruto started jumping for joy and dancing! Exchanging glances with Sasuke and Kakashi, Max stepped forward and abruptly caught the back of the hyperactive blonde's jumpsuit, partially strangling him and stopping his dancing in its tracks. Then, letting go, the rest of the group started moving off down the road.

After several minutes though, Max spotted something out of place. A puddle was in the middle of the road. _But, surely there hasn't been any rain for at least 2 weeks, and we're only half a mile outside of the village; we would have been bound to see the rainclouds,_ she analysed. Realising the danger, Max whirled around…

…only to see Kakashi-sensei being ripped to shreds by two towering ninja. They wore hidden mist headbands, and were both wearing massive claws, joined to each other by a thin, yet incredibly spiky chain. After finishing off with her sensei, the two enemy nin slowly approached her. By now both of her teammates were ready to fight, and Tazuna had stepped behind them, creating a barrier between him and the enemy.

Max, seeing the others tense into defensive positions, began her offensive. She launched herself at the ninja, planting a hard kick in the middle of one and delivering a punch to the face for the other. Rolling back to recover from her attacks, the ninjas leapt around her, trying to capture her in their chain. Just as they closed off her escape route, Max leapt into the air and threw a pair of kunai, each getting stuck in a claw and breaking the chain. Landing carefully, she spotted her dead sensei appear in front of their adversaries, grabbing them in a chokehold until they stopped struggling. The shredded body turned into logs with a cloud of smoke, unmasking the substitution. Then, using their own chain, he tied them up to a tree and sent out a flare for others to collect them.

With the battle over, Max sank to the ground, checking herself over. As with most battles she had ever gotten herself into, be it with her family or in weapons sparring at the academy, all she had were a couple of bruises and some thin cuts to her right arm, probably from when she got trapped by the two ninja. Breathing a sigh of relief, she tried to stand up again, only to find she couldn't move her legs. Feeling panic set in, she called out for Kakashi. He was there within seconds.

"Max, those claws and the chain were soaked in poison; it's probably causing the paralysis. Luckily, by the looks of things, after the first stage of paralysis, the poison spreads slowly. We should get you to a hospital."

Looking directly into her sensei's eye, Max could see the concern there. But, looking at her client, she knew she couldn't just abandon the mission. Shaking her head, Max slowly drew out a kunai with her uninjured hand, and plunged it into the wound, reopening it and letting her poisoned blood leave her body. Gritting her teeth to stop a scream, she tried to stand again, finally managing it. She turned around to address her teammates.

"I'm not going to abandon this mission. We were sent to escort Tazuna-san to the land of waves, and I intend on completing the journey, no matter what the consequences. I don't give up easily, and this is not going to stop me!"

And with that, she started walking off down the road again.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Hello everyone, I'm sorry this one took so long to upload, I have had a lot on my plate recently. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

Max stormed ahead of the others, furiously cursing them for their lack of persistence. Sometimes she wished that they knew what she'd been through. If they knew, thay'd probably understand her actions…and then throw her into a science lab. Just as she was running these thoughts through her head, a tall dark shadow stepped out of the trees lining the road and into her path. Max keeled head over heels. As she sat rubbing the massive bruise that had appeared on her head, the figure chuckled. Looking up, Max found she'd crashed into a tall, very pale man with shoulder length black hair. He wore a pair of bone earrings and his yellow, snake-like eyes were outlined with purple tattoos. He looked down at her with a sinister smile on his face and said,

"Well, well, well… I've found a little bird, and quite far from the nest."

Max felt shivers running down her spine. The strange man's words were ice cold. Even as she thought this, the cold sensation was making it harder and harder for her to breathe. Eventually, she was forced to just hold her breath. She tried to stand up, but the cold sensation had spread throughout her body, pinning her to the ground. She frantically searched the surrounding area for any sign of the others.

No one was there.

The tall figure bent down, his eyes burning into hers. He chuckled again. "There's no use, you'll be dead soon, and none of your teammates will ever hear you. You're on your own."

Max screwed her eyes shut, her muscles tensed for the final blow as the man pulled out a kunai knife. He started laughing, but no sooner than he had started the laughter died down into a muttered curse. He leaned forward so his head was right next to hers and whispered, "You've been very lucky this time. I doubt you'll have the same amount of luck next time we meet…" His voice died away as the 'puff' of a substitution jutsu reached her ears. Finally gaining the courage to open her eyes, Max found herself looking at the others, who just stared at her like she was nuts. Heaving a sigh, Max got up with no difficulty whatsoever, and started down the road again, this time making sure her teammates were right behind her.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Ahh, it's been so long since I last wrote on here. I've been very busy with assignments and other issues. Anyway, here's the next chapter, and thank you for reviewing my work, it really helps me to see what I can improve in my fanfiction!_

Back in Konoha…

Angel, Max's youngest sister was sitting at the dining table, eating a large plate of pizza with her family. Even though they had moved to live in an area where Japanese culture was the dominant, Western food was still being served in the Martinez/Ride household. Finishing her last slice, Angel moved to clear up her plate, only to be disturbed by a sharp knock on the door and the sound of voices outside. Dr Martinez moved to open it, and found herself talking to two of the village's ninja. Straining to hear the whispering voices from the kitchen, Angel managed to catch strains of the conversation:

"There's been a mix-up…"

"…safety in jeopardy…"

As the supposed explanations died down, they were replaced by the now angry voice of Dr Martinez. She argued with the ninja for a minute, then as they left, she fell into the couch, holding her head and muttering that maybe the move to Konoha wasn't as good as it seemed. Angel could hear the concerns and worries that went through her head as clearly as if Dr Martinez was speaking then out loud as well. The one thought though, that shook Angel's world the most, was that Max was in a whole heap of danger. Shivering at the conjured images of her sister being attacked and injured, she signalled for the rest of her siblings to follow her to the joint bedroom she shared with Nudge (her other sister) and Max (the three boys had a separate room). Crouching down, she explained what she had overheard in their adoptive (and, in Ella's case, natural) mum's mind. The whole group was shocked silent for a while until Gazzy piped up.

"If Max is in danger, then I for one want to help her out. I don't want to stay here while she could be hurt!" There were muttered agreements from the circle of kids, but Fang was unmoved.

"Yeah, but while you go out there to save her, you could be labelled missing, and then the whole village'll hunt you down too. Also, you're likely to get hurt as well, and then the problem gets a whole heap more complicated." Again, there were some agreements as they saw the dilemma, but still Gazzy and Angel were unmoved. Eventually, the group settled for a vote on what to do. They cast their decision, but were disappointed and frustrated when they found that they were split evenly in their plans of action. For the rest of the night they argued, but still they were unable to reach a decision on what to do. Finally, they had to call the debate off after Dr Martinez shouted at them to go to sleep for the fourth time, and they all went to bed tired, disappointed and frustrated.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Once again, I have to thank you for reading my work, it makes me so happy to see others enjoying my stories, and it urges me to continue. So, here is the next chapter!_

The boat slowly drifted over the misty water as squad seven made their way to the Wave Country. The mission was now into its second day, and tensions had grown high after the attack by the two enemy ninja. Even now, when no other boat was in sight, everyone was on the lookout for "unusual" occurrences. As the group neared the cluster of islands, the two boatmen, who had kindly agreed to take them to the Land of Waves, cut the onboard motor and started to use oars instead. Soon, a large shape loomed out of the fog and the young genin couldn't help but gasp as the magnificent, yet only half completed, bridge appeared before their very eyes.

Tazuna glanced around the boat, chuckling to himself at the open-mouthed Naruto and the awed Max. Even Sasuke, the boy who almost never smiled, looked impressed.

"This is it! This is the bridge I'm trying to build. If it is ever finished, it'll join Wave Country to the mainland and the people living here will finally be able to get a better hold on their income."

Kakashi turned to Tazuna with a quizzical expression (if you could call it that, what with half of his face covered up), and beckoned for Tazuna to join him at the front of the boat. When the bridge builder had seated himself, Kakashi finally voiced his thoughts.

"For a mission to be ranked "C", there cannot be an encounter with enemy ninja. Yesterday, we were attacked by two, and they were _chunin_ as well. While I was hiding, I noticed they always tried to get to you, meaning they were sent to stop you personally. I have a feeling you probably knew this would happen, and that more attacks will happen soon. This mission should be at least "B" ranked, and now you've put my squad into danger."

Tazuna looked down, ashamed of what he had done. Whispering so that the others couldn't hear him, he explained his reasons.

"As I have already said, the Wave Country is a financially unstable land. The majority of the population is barely able to buy groceries, let alone pay for a ninja mission. I had to ask people to donate what money they could to just buy the timber for the bridge, and now I've almost used up my own savings to keep the construction workers paid. There is also a company, owned by a tyrant named Gatou, who leeches all the money out of this community and keeps us poor to stop us from overthrowing him. He's the one who probably sent the ninja after me, as he did with all the others who tried to stop him. I cannot let him kill me, otherwise all hope of creating a better way of life for the common people will be lost."

Kakashi sighed.

"Tazuna, while I now understand why you acted the way you did, it doesn't excuse the fact you nearly got my team mates killed. However, I will continue to keep my team on your mission, if only so that the bridge is completed and your community will be given a chance to become better off." Kakashi stood and turned to move to the opposite end of the boat, only to glance back. "Oh, and one more thing: if any of us die, I **will **hold you personally responsible"

And with that, the jonin walked away.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Hi guys,_

_It has been so long since I last updated, and to those of you who have waited for a long time to read the next chapter, I apologise. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter and thank you very much for your support!_

It was an hour before the sun was due to rise, when three shadowy figures stole out of the Martinez apartment and slipped into the street below. They inched along the street, frequently turning and scanning the area around them, until they were well out of earshot from any building in the residential district. Then, eager to get out of the village, the shadows sprinted headlong towards the nearest gate and out into the forest.

The alarm went off at 7:00 in the girl's bedroom. I bleeped loudly until a coffee-coloured hand came out of a ball of scrumpled-up blankets and whacked it. Then, yawning and groaning, Nudge appeared out of the blankets as well. She sat there for a while, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, until she felt she could see clearly enough not to hit any sharp wooden corners (or doors for that matter). Nudge padded over to Angel's bed, and knelt down beside her. As usual, her sister had pulled her duvet over her head and turned to face the opposite wall. Smiling at the slumbering little girl, Nudge gently shook her.

"Hey, Angel, It's time to get up."

When she didn't stir, Nudge frowned.

"Angel, if you don't get up soon, you'll be late for the Academy. You know what they make late-comers do: 50 laps of the track! I should know, I have had to do that twice already…"

Still Angel didn't stir. Concerned now, Nudge reached out to rip the duvet clean off the bed. Counting to three, she pulled it off, and gasped when all she saw was a long pillow a balloon and a blonde wig (where Angel got the wig, she really didn't want to know!) Nudge just sat there stunned for what seemed like an age until she was interrupted by Fang and Ella, who came sprinting into the room.

"Nudge, Iggy and Gazzy ran off."

"Yeah, we don't know where they went…"

They stopped when they caught sight of the pillow. Fang sank down onto the floor with a groan and Ella, who was really close to Angel, burst into tears. Handing a box of tissues to Ella, Fang looked at Nudge.

"We've got to tell Dr. Martinez"

Nudge slowly nodded.

"I'll do it."

"THEY WHAT!"

Dr. Martinez yelled at the three children who had just come down as she was in the middle of a cup of coffee and a plate of toast. After she had asked where the others were, she was just taking a drink from the cup when Nudge told her the bad news. Needless to say, coffee was now sprayed over almost everything in the kitchen. Fang took the initiative by stepping forward towards the infuriated woman.

"We were worried last night that Max and her team were in trouble, when we heard the ninjas at the door. We had a vote to see whether or not we should go and help out. It came to a tie, so we went to sleep. We only found out that Gazzy, Iggy and Angel had run off when we woke up and found their beds empty."

Scowling, Dr. Martinez replied.

"You overheard my **private** conversation and were planning to run off? I can't believe it. Do you know how dangerous it is to run off in this country? You could be attacked by people, or you might never be allowed back into the village. I'll have to ask the Hokage to make sure that those three are allowed back in, and that they are safe. This'll cost money. Also, to make sure they know the seriousness of their actions, I'm going to ground them for a year. You'd better not run off either, or you'll get the same treatment."

She got up from the table, and left the apartment. Nudge and Fang looked at each other, then grabbed their kit and pelted down to the academy, not wanting to be late for their class or team.

Ayumu-sensei of squad 9 was worried. He had arrived early at his team's meeting point to make sure he didn't miss anybody, and now that two hours had passed, he still didn't have a full team. Inuzuka Kiba and Haruno Sakura were here, but where was Iggy? Ayumu turned to his team members.

"Kiba, Sakura, I need to go and speak to the Hokage. Wait here, I'll come back and see whether or not we can still participate in a mission or two today."

Nodding their understanding, Kiba and Sakura watched as their sensei _shunshinned_ away.

The Hokage was enjoying a rare moment of peace, gazing out over the village, when Dr Martinez entered into his office. Turning around, and surprised to see her worried expression, he could immediately sense a long night at the office. Dr Martinez edged closer to the Hokage's desk.

"Lord Hokage, I have a problem; Iggy, Gazzy and Angel have all run off. They overheard your messengers last night, and I think they've gone to help Max. I know that this sort of behaviour could get them in massive trouble, and I plan on making sure they never do it again, but I really, really, want them back in the village. Is it possible to arrange a squad to find them and escort them back here? I can pay…"

Dr Martinez trailed off as she saw Ayumu, the jonin responsible for Iggy when he was on missions, suddenly appear in the doorway. Judging by the look on his face, he had also noticed the teen's disappearance. The Hokage glanced at both of them, then smiled.

"Dr Martinez, I think I've found the squad for this mission."


End file.
